The time was 7:49 at night
by July 28th
Summary: At 15 years of age a twist of fate takes a fatality on one of the greasers. These are Ponyboy's last moments.


Whoo, background. Here is some crap you don't have to read because you can pick up on it in the story, but if you ever wanted to know….

Background: This takes place maybe a year after the book, Ponyboy is fifteen. The timein the end of the story is 7:49 hence the title. I just put this together in my spare time for the random heck of it. One-Shot. Ponyboy was on his way home in the car with Two-Bit and they hit a car head on(someone else's fic kinda inspired me). It is a deathfic and all, but just a glimpse into what his last moments are probably like. I tend to write these, and though obviously I couldn't know but I think there is a calm acceptance that comes with all things, even death. So it kinda has that in here.

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

The time was 7:49 at night

It is a strange thing how the weather always matches my mood, I mean it is tuff I guess. I usually didn't like the rain 'cause it always reminded me of angels crying and stuff but since Johnny told me to stay gold I sure appreciated it a lot more.

After all that… I thought I'd live a long time, or at least die heroically or somethin'…

Something cold hit my forehead and I couldn't even flinch. The raindrop musta been comin' down extinguishing all the fire that surrounded me. I hated that, the fire, the red hell Johnny and I weren't afraid of. It felt like there was a ton of bricks sitting on my ribs and I couldn't feel my entire left side. I mean I could, a numbing throbbing pain but it wasn't searing or nothing. I wanted to cry, and I wanted Darry, Soda, Johnny and Mom and Dad. I could only suck in a small amount of breath and occasionally manage to choke a sob. Strangers were around me…God I was gonna die around strangers that thought I was a no good hood! I wouldn't mind dying and all, but fifteen years, fifteen years ain't gonna be long enough.

I couldn't see anything, a suffocating black and I knew my eyelids were fluttering open and what not. Hell, even if I did live I'd be blind or something horrible like that.

My heart gave a painful churn but I couldn't move a limb to do anything. Someone jammed a jacket under my head but it still felt like I was sitting on a pile of rocks.

They were talking about something and I tried to listen but I felt so light-headed and tired…so very tired. I need Soda! Where are my brothers? Why aren't they here, can't they get here in time?

I let out a choked sob and tried to calm myself, to listen.

I was losing blood fast, hell, they said I was dyin' but I already knew that—even Johnny knew that he would. I just wanted to say goodbye before I go if I had to go…that's all.

"He must have been doing some reckless stunt, took the corner to sharp. The rain…" It was that girl, she had such a soft voice and was holding my hand--God, it couldn't be Cherry or nothin'.

A thought slowly crossed my mind and I spoke a shuddering sentence.

"I wasn't drivin'" I said, how could they think I would?

There was someone else in the car, I know it…I just can't remember, can't think…

Was it Two-Bit? Track had ended a bit ago right? A vivid memory came into mind and I thought back to the car, the car we hit head on—there was a little girl in the passenger seat—God she didn't deserve to die too, not like this. And Two-Bit, if he was in the car we couldn't lose another one of the greasers—the whole gang will fall apart we couldn't lose Two-Bit. And I….

I finally gave up on forcing my eyes open to darkness, and closed them to blackness. But kinda—there was a field, the one up in Windrixville. I could see the church, but it was just ashes on the ground. I choked suddenly finding it harder to breath and focused harder on the field.

Johnny was there, he was sittin' by that old tree looking off for the sunset. I wanted to walk toward him, aw hell-- I couldn't even move. I called him instead and his name passed through my chapped lips. The people around me went silent and all I heard was the rain pattin' down. Why weren't they doing anything for the others? Where were the others?

I saw Johnny look back and walk forward to me. I couldn't move from my spot curled up in a ball on the ground.

"Hey Pony, whata doing awake so soon?" He asked, his voice was so light I could hardly hear.

"Johnny—" I muttered again my voice coming out broken and hoarse. People started talking again, moving around, and the rain was coming down harder—almost drowning.

"Johnny, I stayed gold Johnny. I stayed gold." I told him, my lips only moving.

Johnny smiled for a second, a rare happiness smile.

"I know man," He told me, "But it just ain't long enough. Ya really wanna come with me and Dal? Well, he says he'll take us to the movies tonight so we don't have to worry 'bout the Socs or nothin'."

Was this Johnny, really Johnny? I wanted to reach out and touch him but couldn't, a scrap of metal was embedded in my shoulder. But still, Johnny if this really was you—I really wanted it to be true. Hell, he was even talking about Dallas, Dally who died from a bullet rain. Johnny…

"Johnny…" I spoke again for the third or so time and he just laughed.

"Calm down Ponyboy, I'm glad to see you too man. In just a few minutes we can watch the sunset, you know all that colors and clouds and stuff you keep talking about." He smiled again.

"Pon-Ponyboy!" Someone was shaking me, and there was talking—such loud talking I couldn't hear Johnny anymore. I couldn't see him anymore, just the black.

"Ponyboy it's me Two-Bit! Shoot, I know you can hear me kid, you gotta hold on now!" I kept shaking my right arm and I groaned.

"Listen man, an ambulance is coming. Hold on now—you better not die on me." He loosened his grip and let go, thunder roared in the distance and I could hear people trying to pull him away—he fought it though. A greaser never abandons another one.

"Two-Bit." I said kinda sicken at how frail my voice came out but whoever was that was holding him back let go, and though that girl never let go of my hand she moved back. Two-Bit put his hands on my arm 'cause he must have figured I couldn't see him and started sayin' stuff real softly—I couldn't hear. His hands were shaking—or maybe that was me, don't know…

"Two-Bit," I interrupted him, "That girl in the other car is she a-" I paused when a sharp pain racked down my spine and my head rolled back feelin' light and muddled and all that. It still was hard to breath and I was losin' blood real fast. Soda and Darry- they wouldn't…. make it. They wouldn't be here but I didn't want them to see me…I couldn't put 'em through that.

"That girl in the other car is alright Ponyboy, don't you worry now. You will be too, okay, specialists are coming right now kid."

"Tuff." I said simply and my head rolled to one side. I could feel Two-Bit tense up but then he faded away again. I was back in the field with Johnny. Johnny with short hair—Johnny with no burn wounds and that scared puppy dog look in his eyes. Johnny smokin' a cigarette waiting to watch the sunset with me.

'Dally' I inquired almost mentally but Johnny heard, he always was the type to listen when ya talk.

"Don't worry 'bout ol' Dal now, he can take care of himself Pony."

'Yeah,' I agreed and fell back into reality for what would be my last time.

"You're brothers are coming too now, so you gotta hold on for them." Two-Bit's words sounded foreign.

So foreign—and I was so tired. I couldn't even keep my head from rolling to the side.

I vaguely wondered if this is what Johnny felt, and oddly enough it wasn't all that scary. Just numb, very numb.

'Post tenebras lux' kinda popped in my head. A stupid latin phrase I memorized for some test or the other. After darkness, light. Seemed appropriate. I wanted to tell Two-Bit I wasn't afraid to die. I'd miss them like all hell but I'd be with Johnny and Dally, and wait for them someday too I guess… .

I let out a breath and suddenly I couldn't even feel the weight on my chest anymore. I couldn't breath in or nothin' neither.

"Call it—" Someone called, and was meet by arguements.

I wondered what Two-Bit was doing, or where Soda and Darry were… I didn't want them to cause them grief to them or something—I couldn't think straight. I was so tired.

"Call it—" I heard again, and I wanted to tell Two-Bit something else. I didn't want to have my brothers see me die. I didn't want to make them cry. I wanted that girl to live, and everyone to live on. I wanted to be buried in Windrixville and I wanted to know if they were gonna really cover me with a white sheet like on T.V.. I wanted to be able to tell him any of that.

I could hardly think back and remember my life—it didn't flash before my eyes. I couldn't remember my life but I could remember my death. I don't mean I'd forget about Soda or Darry or nothin' but they seemed so far away. My eyelids felt heavy even though they were already closed. I hoped to God the others would be alright, and I heard someone read out a time. Never got to say goodbye….

Johnny was waiting for me by the tree, his cigarette a red ember in the distance. I couldn't look behind me, I couldn't look into the darkness left after the sunset. I just looked at him. He asked me to recite that poem, once more and I did very softly.

'Nature's first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold,

Her early leaf's a flower

But only so an hour

And leaf subsides to leaf

So Eden sank to grief

So Dawn goes down to day

What the hell—something gold can stay.'

Fin

I'd love it if someone would review, and incase you have nothing else to say I have a few questions you can answer that might help me.

Does it really sound like Ponyboy talking?

Did the poem in the very ending bite, or was overkill?

Should I have filled in more answers about what is going around him, hence did it make sense flipping between Windrixville and reality?

What do you think about the unanswered questions there?

Was the grammar okay?

Finally, was it worth that six something minutes it took to read?

Thanks!


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